Mounting for wire recorder supply spools



Dec. 5, .1950 c. B. DALE 5 5 v MOUNTING FOR WIRE RECORDER SUPPLY SPOOLS Filed March 31, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fa/fnfi a/e RUN NEUTRAL REWIND Dec. 5, 1950 c; B. DALE 2,532,541

uoun'rmc FOR wm RECORDER SUPPLY SPOOLS Filed March 31. '1947 v .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l." M 34 y 5 grwvwiw Patented Dec. 5, 1950 MOUNTKNG FOR WIRE RECORDER SUPPLY SPOOLS Colin B. Dale, Oak Park, 111., assignor to Webster- Chicago Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application March 10, 1947, Serial No. 733,654. Divided and this application March 31, 1947, Serial No. 738,437

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a mounting in the nature of a chuck for receiving a supply spool whereon wire or other like material is wound. It is designed particularly for use with a sound recording and reproducing machine utilizng a magnetizable steel wire, such an instrument being commonly known as a wire recorder.

An important problem to be dealt with in any such instrument is the application of a wirewound spool to the chuck by which it is rotated, as well as its removal therefrom. Accordingly the present improvements are concerned primarily with the chuck whereby the wire supply spool is supported and by which the mounting and removal thereofis facilitated. By my invention this is accompished qu ckly and in a simple and eiiective way with little or no care or skill. The features of improvement herein claimed have been fully disclosed in my application for patent on a Wire Recorder, filed March 10, 1947, under Serial No. 733,654, of which this case is a division.

In the accompanying drawings a suggestive embodiment of this invention is set forth in the manner following:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire recorder constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of the recorder illustrating the layout of the wire handling means;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section looking in the direction of the arrows on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line i4 of Fig. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the wire recorder and reproducer is housed in a carrying case 2! having a detachable 1d 22. Inside the lid there is provided a compartment normally closed by a hinged partition 2 1 (shown in open position) for storing the electric power cord 26, microphone 23 and microphone cable when the recorder is not in use. The id 22 is also equipped with a number of spool holders 32 for carrying the wire spools S4.

The front portion of the recorder is covered by a decorative panel or escutcheon 35. The escutcheon is suitaby apertured for access to an input socket (not shown), in which the plug 38 of the microphone cable 38 is adapted to be inserted when the instrument is beng used for recording, and an output socket it for establishing connection to a remote loudspeaker or headphones. Various control knobs project outwardly of the panel 36, including the record-listen switch knob 42, a knob 44 on the output tap switch, a volume potentiometer knob 46 and an on-off-tone control knob 48.

A cover 5!], Figs. 1 and 2, extends over the rear portion of the instrument and is suitably recessed to accommodate a wire supply spool 34, the wre takeup spool 52 and the recording and pickup head 54, which is also part of the level winder. The handle 55 of a control lever 58 extends iorwardly of the front edge of the cover 59. The control lever 53 is part of the run-stoprewind switch which, however, forms no part of the present invention. The framework of the machine includes a base plate 60 and a sub-base plate 62 which support the wire handling means and associated mechanism.

The wire supply spool 35 that is to be used in the'machine is mounted on a chuck 89 (see Fig. 4) carried by a vertical shaft 82 that is journaled in self-aligning bearings 8t carried by the plates 66 and E32. When mounted on the chuck the outer end of the spool is disposed substantially flush with the cover and close to the surrounding recess edge 85 which extends through the major portion of a circ e. An adjusting screw 86 at the base of the shaft 82 enables the height of the chuck 8G to be regulated so that the supported spool will occupy the position just described. A disc 8'! of anti-friction material such as Bakelite, is interposed between the screw 86 and the end of the shaft 32 to afiord a thrust bearing for the shaft.

The chuck 86 has a dependent skirt or drum 88 that is concentric with the shaft 82. A motordriven friction wheel (not shown) may be employed to rotate the chuck through frictional engagement with its drum 38.

The hub 93 of the chuck 33 (see Fig. 4) is relieved as indicated at 94 around the upper edge of its periphery, the amount of such relief at any point on the hub being such as to conform substantially with an arc struck from a point diametr?ca11y opposite on the hub in the plane of the top surface of an annular base 95 that con-v tacts the lower face of the spool 34. A radial slot 96 is formed in the hub 93 to accommodate a small steel ball 83 and a coil spring [M which urges the ball 98 toward the periphery of the hub 93 against the inner cylindrical surface of the supply spool M. A cover plate 152 is attached to the hub 9&3 by a central screw N3 5 threaded into a tapped opening extending into the shaft 82 axially thereof. The cover 5532 and the outer lip of the slot 95 serve to retain the ball 98 in the chuck 88 when the supply spool 3 is removed.

The arrangement just described facilitates the insertion and removal of the wire supply spools, as 34, since it is not necessary to accurately align the opening through the spool with the hub 93 nor to assemble the spool on the hub in a particular angular relation. The friction cateh or detent comprising the ball 68 and the spring I60 serves to retain the spool 34 securely on the chuck 86.

The wire takeup spool 52 is secured on the upper end of a vertical shaft I66 journaled in self-alignin bearings set in the base plates 66 and 62. The lower end of the shaft I66 rests on a disc 569 of anti-friction material which serves as a thrust bearing. The spool 52 has a depending skirt or drum I16 horizontally aligned with a friction wheel (not shown) that functions as an idler between the shaft of a driving motor (not shown) and the takeup spool 52. Because of the relatively large diameter of the drum H6 the takeup spo'ol52 is rotated rather siewiywnen it is being driven by the motor, the Wire speed under these conditions being about one-seventh of the Wire speed when the chuck 36 is being di'ive'nby the friction wheel.

A circular cover plate 522 (see Fig. 3) on the takeup spool 52 has a peripheral portion which forms the upper flange of the spool. A small slot or notch 62E is forrned in the edge of the cover 122, and ears E26 are bent upwardly from the edges of the slot on either side thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. The leading end of a wire W which is led from the supply spool passes partially around the recording head 54 and then under one of the ears I26 for insertion beneath a latching or clamping finger I28 which bears on the upper surface of the cover 122.

The linger i26 is formed on the end of an arm I38 which is mounted 'on the under side of the cover I22 radially thereof, the finger I28 being extended upwardly through an aperture in the cover. Upward pressure is exerted on the arm compression spring I32 disposed around a headed pin I34 that extends through the cover I22 andthe arm 436 to depend therebelow. The arm ite'pivots about a fulcrum point so that the spring H2 is effective to urge the finger :aeuo-wmvmu against the plate I22. A button E36 on the end of the arm I36 projects through a central opening in the cover I22. The 1 latch finger E28 is raised by depressing thebutton $35. With release of pressure 'on this button, the wire W is thenclamped firmly to the cover or face I22 of the takeup spool 52 under pressure of the spring I32 acting upon the finger The recording and pickup head 54 is carried on the upper end of a slide bar I36 that extends vertioally through a ertures in the base plates 66 and 62. A lug Hi9 struck out from the slide bar I38 has a tapped openin into which a screw I42 is threaded, the upper end of the screw passing freely through a clearance opening in a member I44slidably supported on the bar I38. The screw I42 is headed at its upper end, and a coil spring I46 is disposed around the screw l 42 between the lug use and the member I44. The

screw I42 affords a means of adjusting the relative positions of the member I44 and the bar I38.

A tension spring i 56 is extended between the member Md and the base plate 62 to urge the lower portion of the member I44 against the end of a rocker 55d pivoted at I5I on a, bracket I52 extending upwardly from the base plate 62.

A stub shaft I54 supported by the bracket I52 carries a worm wheel I56 and a cam I58. The worm wheel I56 cooperates with a worm thread I66 formed on the shaft I06 of the takeup spool 52: The cam I58 cooperates with a cam follower I62 on the rocker I51; Rotation of the shaft I 66, therefore, is effective through the medium of the cam I58 and rocker I50 to produce alternate upward and downward motion of the head 54 in tii'ned relation with the rotation of the takeup spool 52.

The head: 54 houses the coils for recording sound magnetically on the wire W and for picking up the acoustic signal from the wire, depending upon whether the instrument is being operated to record or reproduce the sound. The head. 54" also eontains an erasing coil for demagnetizing the wire to clear it of any previous recording when the instrument is being operated for recording purposes, as is familiar to those-skilled inthe art. Inasmuch as these pornoes bf the apparatus are conventional, a detailed description thereof is not included herein. A notch I64 is provided in the head 54 for the reception of the wire A guide finger I66 mounted on the cover 56 adjacent the supply spool 34; and a small post or pin I68 extending up from the cover 56 intermediate the head 54 and the takeup spool 52, assist in guiding the wire between the spools and the recording head 54-.

The control lever 53 is part of a three position control switch that governs operation of the machine. The handle 56 of the control lever is shown in its neutral or stop positi'cn in Fig. 2. The run position of the handle 56 is to the left or neutral, While the rewind position is to the right as viewed in this figure.

When the "control handle 56 is in run position, during which time the machine may be utilized either for recording or play-back depending upon the setting of the-selector knob'42, the driving force '0'f the" 11161761" is applied to the tak'eup spool 52. When the control handle 56 is in rewind position, the driving force of the motor is then applied to the chuck 86 carrying the wire sup l spoon In the neutral position of the control handle 56 the motor is uncoupled from both the chuck 68 and the takeup spool 52:. Between the-spools5-2 and 3 5 and the motor suitable driving connections, not a part of this intention, are operatively anranged.

When a new wire supply spool is placed in the machine, the leading end 'o'f't he' wire W is drawn 01f the supply speol 35 "(see '2) ahdcarried past the recording andreproducing head 54 to-be attached-by the latch I28 to the ta'keup spool It is preferablefto manipulate theta-keup spool 52- by hand for-bringing the head into its extreme upper position'before thewi're W'is attached to the spool 52, inasmuch as thewire 'co'mrnenc'esto wind from the top down on the spool 52; The 'selector'knob 323s adjusted a s'desired for recording or listening. The wire feed is initiated by throwing the control handle 56 into running position at the left of neutral. The wire is wound evenly in uniform layers on the take'up spool 52 as the operation progresses. The wire feed may be started, stopped. a nol'r'eversed as ofte'n as "desired by manipuiaticn or the control handle 56, the various working parts being automatically adjusted to each new condition. Reversal of the wire feed is "accomplished by moving the control handl'e'to "rewinw-pe'suitn.

Tb rewind the wire W-the oontrdl ha ncl-lett is a forcing inwardly of a portion of its outer coil between other coils on the supply spool 34, whereby the wire at a point proximate to its projection from the spool is held securely against unwinding. The remaining length of wire then is drawn onto the spool 34 where it wraps around the final layer. The end of the wire, as it slips away from the latch I28, is curled into a pigtail which prevents the end from accidently being buried in the wire on the spool 34, so that it can be readily located and grasped when the spool is to be played back.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the specific embodiment set forth for purposes of illustration without departing from the principles of the invention. The invention is accordingly not to be limited to the precise details disclosed herein but includes all modifications thereof within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1.-For use with a wire recorder having a cover plate wherein is a recess extending through the major portion of a circle, a spool-supporting rotatable chuck disposed wholly within the recess, the chuck comprising an annular base, a hub projecting from said annular base and adapted to fit within the central opening of a spool when the latter is mounted on the hub with one of the spool ends adjacent the annular base and with the opposite spool end lying substantially flush with the cover plate adjacent the edge of the circular recess therein, said hub terminating in a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion and the amount of relief on said peripheral portion conforming at every point substantially with an arc struck from a diametrically opposite point on the hub and adjacent said annular base whereby the supported spool may be freely disengaged from the hub in response to an outwardly directed force applied peripherally to one side of the spool center, and a friction lock carried by the hub engageable with the spool at a point relatively close to the annular base of the chuck for normally retaining the spool thereon.

2. For use with a wire recorder having a, cover plate wherein is a recess extending through the major portion of a circle, a spool-supporting rotatable chuck disposed wholly within the recess, the chuck comprising a hub adapted to fit within the central opening of a spool when the latter is placed thereon in a predetermined position, with the outer spool end lying substantially flush with the cover plate adjacent the edge of the circular recess therein, said hub being formed circumferentially with a peripheral relief conforming at every point substantially with an arc struck from a diametrically opposite point on the hub adjacent the inner end of the spool whereby the supported spool may be freely disengaged from the hub in response to an outwardly directed force applied peripherall to one side of the spool center.

3. For use with a Wire recorder having a horizontal cover plate wherein is a recess extending through the major portion of a circle, a spoolsupporting rotatable chuck having a vertioa1 axis disposed within the recess, the chuck being adapted to fit within the central opening of a spool when the latter is positioned with its outer end lying substantially flush with the cover plate adjacent the edge of the circular recess therein, the hub terminating in a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion at a point proximate to the inner spool end, the amount of relief on said peripheral portion conforming at every point substantially with an arc struck from a diametrically opposite point on the hub adjacent the inner spool end whereby the supported spool may be freely disengaged from the hub in response to an outwardly directed force applied peripherally to one side of the spool center.

4. A spool-supporting rotatable chuck as set forth in claim 3 wherein an annular base is extended from one end of the hub and a friction lock is carried by the hub to engage the spool at a point relatively close to the annular base of the chuck.

COLIN B. DALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,457,226 Magrath May 29, 1923 1,829,482 Hayden Oct. 27, 1931 1,991,853 Howell Feb. 19, 1935 2,151,536 Sperry Mar. 21, 1939 2,164,426 Renfroe July 4, 1939 

